Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-11-27
THE MINE JUMPER


called '1petering out" 1t is now a mer
hole in the ground. The half dozen shan
ties and cabins near it have long ago falle'
into disuse. Their roofs have fallen in
and it is years since the gulch in whicI
their ruins are was the habitation Of men
The entire gulch is deserted now, and tn
Little Christabel is is only a memory t
those who once shared in the prosperity
oncs brought to Fairplay gulch.
A long, narrow pile OF decaying logs anC
parts OF q clapbOord roof mark the spo
where the boarding house a There ar
still living many Of the men who ono
gathered around the long, rough PIN
table that ran the full length Of the cabin
One of them told nj the story of Miss Mil
licent.
Miss Millicent Hay was the only woman
ever seen at the Little Christable mine.
When Harley Vance, the owner of the
mine, advertised in a Denver paper for 8
cook for his boarding house Miss Millicent
Hay answered the advertisement in person,
She came walking up the trail leading tC
the camp carrying little hand satchel and
a stout walking stick.
81 have been staying down in Camp
Crystal" she said to the surprised Mr..
Vance, who had advertised for man cook,
and l thought the place would suit me.
The stage brought me TO the mouth OF the
gulch and / walked the rest of the way.
1t isn't more than six miles, is it,"
She was a small but resolute looking
woman, with keen gray eyes and a month
indicating great irmness of character.
Her thin brown hair was eOmbed plainly
back from a brow beginning to show signs
of wrinkles, although she was but 40 years
old.
"Do you think l couldn't do the work.
she asked. II am quite strong and
have known nothing but hard work all my
life"
She held out her ~ungloved hand as she
spoke. They were rough and wrinkled,
with bent fingers and calloused palms.
You might do the work." said Mr..
Vance. There are only about fifteen
boariers and we live in a plain, rough
way, and there is a boy TO help. But ii
wouldn't be a pleasant place for a lady to
live. There are no women in this gulch."
II care nothing for that" said Miss
Millicent. Men are sometimes kinder
than women" she added, with a tinge OF
bitterness in her voice.
The end of it all was that Miss Mil
licent was installed as cook in the boarding
house. She has evidently come deter
mined 30 stay, for the stage coach that
went running through the gulch next day
brough. up a little hair covered trunk with
M H." on the end of it with brass head
ed nails.
Before a week the boarder5 began bless
ing the good angel that sent them Miss
Millicent. Such meals as she served had
never been seen before at the Little
Christabel; and it was wonderful to see the
change she brought about in the dirty lit
tie boarding house and its contents. HeI
energy and strength seemed unfailiug,
She vent stepping briskly about, the
neatest and sprlghtliest Of housekeeperS,
singing at her work and smiling On every
body.
At the the end OF a fortnight every man
in camp knew Miss Millicent and had felt
the influence a good woman eXerts in every
community.
Old hats and caps were dotted to her
wherever she went. No osths or rough
words were spoken in her presence, and the
man who would have dared TO offer an in,
dignity would have rid IN a rail, y as my
informant said.
For q year Miss Millicent lived at the
Little Christabel, and in hat time she had
.--. 49,, .,,..r- r.rarl Of -uEru man IN
camp. There had been a great deal Of
sickness among the men that winter, and
some Of them owed their lives TO Miss Mil
~licent's careful nursing, good food and gen
eral good sense in everything pertaining tC
the care Of the sick.
Her " c~heertulness and good health
never failed her.
Il don't believe you ever had . sorrow
in your life, did you?' asked one OF TIE
men one day.
Miss Millicent was standing in the cabin
door It the time. The smile on her face
vanished rs she made reply; she leaned
her head YEARLY against the door frame
her face paled for a moment aud her lip;
quivered as she said slowly:
Every heart knoweth its own bitter.
ness" then she turned and went TO her
own little room at the end of the cabin,
and the man who had asked the question
said:
Some villain of q man at the bottom o.
all, I'll bet; I'd like to help stretch his
neck -
1t was 10 secret that one or two OF tbs
men in camp had been suitOrs for Mis-:
NF.11.--.. k,-2 ,,l - ~, EnAUn chat
she had received their proposals with q
burst Of tears, and had begged them never,
if they valued their happiness and hers,
never to refer to the subject again.
The camp had been s~ingulsrly free from
the brawlS and lawleSSneSs that both dis
tiuguiSh and disgrace most mountain min.
ing camps. Mr.. Vance would not allow g
saloon within the limits Of the mine, and
had made it obligatory or the men that
they refrain from many things common to
the ordinary miner.
The presence of Miss Miliicert had had
| much 70 do with the unusual good be
havior Of the men and the good name the
Little Christabel wore as 4 mining camp
Bat one day there came \ bit Of news
to the camp that changed the men from
good natnred, easy going, jOyial fellows tc
angry, determined men.
There lived near on a claim near the
/ Little Christahsl s man known IS Capt.
( Tom. an honest, ha!d working and thor.
ouShly good man. very popular with al
who knew him, and unusually so with the
men employed at the Little CaristAbei.
For two years he hal worked hard in
poverty and deprivation, developing q
claim that was generally believed to be
worthless
But fortune plays strange freaks in min
ing camps, and Capt. Toms unpromisiug
mine one day revealed I splendid vein OF
rich silver ore. He came down 20 the
Little Chrisiabel. jubilant over his good
fortune. lie returned home 70 ind his
claim 'jumped' by two OF three men, Led
rs a fellow OF uusavory reputation known
- Doe GriESon.
Grsscn and his ccofederates were in
possession OF Capt Toms two years Of
labor, and coOliy Ordsrsd him 20 clear
out when be appeared At the door OF his
own little cabin, the order being emphas.
lied bT threats Of immediate annihilation
Il be tarried long on the orier OF bis go
ing.
This mine jumping process IL D !
canrCt give IN detail here. Suffice il to
ay that possession i even more than
'.nine-tenths OF the Law" when applied to
unpatented and unrecordei mining claims
H. "a rrsbSpr fD- Cans Tom N do